In 1972, Gulzar made Koshish, a movie about a deaf and mute couple, ably played by Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bhaduri, who find happiness with each other.
Likewise, in Kaabil, Hrithik Roshan plays a visually impaired man, besotted with his wife, Yami Gautam, also blind, until tragedy strikes. While Sanjeev’s performance fetched him a national award for Best Actor, does Hrithik think his act too is worthy of one?
He balks and blushes at the comparison. “My God, that’s too much to even consider. When people say this is the first time in Indian cinema that a movie has depicted a love story between two blind people, and that has never been done in the history of our industry, I feel elated,” says Hrithik.
The box office figures too are showing an upward trend for the movie, and as Hrithik’s performance draws in enthusiastic praise from all quarters, it looks like Kaabil is poised for a successful innings.
Says a happy Hrithik, “More than box office numbers, it’s the appreciation that overwhelms me. Like I tell my sons, the gold is not important, but running and giving it your very best is crucial and imperative. Not giving it your best is failure. Today, Kaabil, my third baby, is running at its very best.”
Hrithik believes in giving his best shot to every movie. “Doing good work is extremely important to me. I’m proud of the appreciation we’re receiving. Numbers will follow. I’ll do whatever it takes to make my films, as they’re my joy. My hard work makes me a better person. It always keeps me humble to my vision, because that vision is bigger and greater than me.”
As for Kaabil being his best, Hrithik asserts, “There’s no best in creativity; it’s so subjective. There is only the goal to do full justice to the script and vision. If you ask me which is my favourite performance from my own repertoire, I’d say none. Whenever I look back at my favourite it turns out to be not as good as I thought. I keep desiring for that one performance that will last as a favourite. Maybe Rohan Bhatnagar in Kaabil might. You’ll have to check with me in two years again, though.”
